Enclosure holding data carrier

ABSTRACT

The enclosure comprises: a base portion; retaining means provided on the base portion for releasably holding a data carrier such as a CD within the enclosure; and a closure member, e.g. a plastic sheet, attached to the base portion so as to prevent removal of the CD from the enclosure, an irreversibly breakable join, e.g. a heat weld, being provided between the closure member and the base portion which, when broken, enables the closure member to be opened to allow the CD to be removed from the enclosure. The closure member may be removed entirely or may be hinged to the base portion so it is retained for use as a lid.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] This invention relates to an enclosure holding a data carriersuch as a compact disk (CD) or digital versatile disk (DVD).

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] There are many types of enclosure available for housing CDs andother forms of data carrier, the most well-known being a hinged boxformed of clear polystyrene known as a ‘jewel box’ used to hold CDs.

[0003] The present invention provides an enclosure for a data carrierhaving features and advantages not provided by known data carrierenclosures.

[0004] It should be noted that the term data carrier is used herein tocover any form of object capable of carrying machine orcomputer-readable data, including but not restricted to compact disks(of 15 cm diameter or other sizes), digital video disks (of 15 cmdiameter or other sizes), floppy disks, tape cassettes (eg audio tape orvideo tape), smart cards, data cartridges and computer read-only only orrandom access memory chips (ROM or RAM).

[0005] The term data is also used in a broad sense to cover any form ofinformation or programs in any machine or computer-readable format.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there isprovided an enclosure holding a disked-shaped data carrier with acentral aperture, the enclosure comprising: a base portion; retainingmeans provided on the base portion for releasably engaging the centralaperture and thus holding the data carrier within the enclosure; andclosure means arranged to prevent removal of the data carrier from theenclosure, at least part of the closure means being integrally formed orbonded directly with the base portion, or with a component permanentlymounted thereto, around a substantial portion of the periphery of thedata carrier or of the enclosure so as to provide an irreversiblybreakable join therebetween which, when broken, enables the closuremeans to be opened to allow the data carrier to be removed from theenclosure.

[0007] According to another aspect of the invention, there is providedan enclosure for holding a disk-shaped data carrier having a centralaperture, the enclosure comprising: a base portion; retaining meansprovided on the base portion for releasably engaging the centralaperture and thus holding the data carrier within the enclosure; andclosure means comprising a plastics film or sheet connected to the baseportion by a direct bond therebetween around a substantial portion ofthe periphery of the data carrier or of the enclosure whereby movementof the closure means between a closed position and an open position bybreaking at least part of the bond therebetween allows the data carrierto be removed from the enclosure.

[0008] According to a further aspect of the invention, there is providedthe use of an enclosure or apparatus as described above for holding adata carrier without a cover for the outermost face of the data carrier.

[0009] Other features of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and from the subsidiary claims of thespecification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0010] The invention will now be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

[0011]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an enclosure for housing a diskaccording to a first embodiment of the invention (with the diskremoved);

[0012]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an enclosure for housing acompact disk according to a second embodiment of the invention (with adisk shown held therein);

[0013]FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of a third embodiment of theinvention;

[0014]FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the third embodimenttaken along line A-A shown in FIG. 3;

[0015]FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a fourth embodiment ofthe invention, shown in an open position; and

[0016]FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the fourthembodiment, taken along line B-B of FIG. 5, but shown in a closedposition.

BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT INVENTION

[0017]FIG. 1 a shows an enclosure for housing a disk, eg a CD. The disk1 (see FIG. 2) is releasably held in the enclosure by disk-holding meanswhich engage the central aperture of the disk. There are many types ofdisk-holding means known in the art including those described in theapplicants patent specifications WO 96/14636 and WO 97/41563 thedisclosure of which is incorporated herein.

[0018] The disk-holding means shown in FIG. 1 comprises three arms 2resiliently cantilevered from a base 3, the inner end of each arm 2being provided with a segment-shaped portion 2A connected by a hinge toone side of a triangular portion 4 which thus joins the inner ends ofthe three arms 2. The portions 2A and 4 together form a substantiallycircular button-like portion which is shaped to fit through the centralaperture of a disk. The curved side of each segment shaped portion 2A isprovided with a projection or lip 2B (see FIG. 2) which, when a disk 1is mounted on the device, engages on the outwardly facing surface of thedisk, i.e. the upper surface of the disk 1 in the orientation shown inFIG. 2, to securely retain it thereon. To release the disk, thebutton-like member is depressed so as to cause the arms 2 to flex abouttheir connections to the base 3 whereby the diameter of the button-likemember decreases until the lips 2B release their engagement on the disk.

[0019] Release of the disk from the disk holding means is furtherfacilitated by provision of support means 5 on the base 3 such that asthe button-like member is depressed the periphery of the disk issupported by the support means 5 so the central portion of the disk isflexed downwards by the action of the button-like member until theengagement of the lips 2B thereon is released, whereupon the disk isable to revert to its unflexed state and the centre of the disk movesupwards to prevent it being re-engaged by the disk-holding means whenthe button-like member is released. It should be noted that the degreeof flexing in this process is small, the movement of the centre of thedisk relative to the periphery often being only 1 mm or even 0.5 mm orless. It should also be noted that, as the disk flexes in the form of adiaphragm, this flexing is evenly spread over the disk and notconcentrated along a line.

[0020] The action of this and other disk-holding means is described inmore detail in WO 96/14636 and in WO 97/41563.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the enclosure is also provided with peel-offclosure means 6 (shown partially peeled back). This typically comprisesa plastics film which may have or one or more other films of plastics,metal or paper laminated therewith. The peel-off closure means isreleasably secured to the top of an upstand 7 provided around theperiphery of the base 3, eg by adhesive or a welded bond therewith. Thewelded bond may be formed by a simple heat seal between the closuremeans and the base 3. The film 6 is provided with a tab 6A which may begripped by a user and used to peel the film away from the upstand 7 soas to provide access to a disk held within the enclosure and the diskholding means. The tab 6A may project from one side of the closure means6 (as shown in FIG. 1) or may comprise a liftable corner of the closuremeans 6.

[0022] The plastics film may, for example, be approximately 100 micronsthick, and comprise a laminate including a polyethylene layer heatwelded to the upstand 7 and other layers to provide the requiredstrength, stiffness and printability.

[0023] The peel-off closure means 6 may be used to carry information, egdescribing and/or advertising the contents of the disk held in theenclosure and in particular may be used to inform the user that removalof the peel-off closure means 6 indicates acceptance by the user ofspecified conditions of purchase, eg acceptance of a license agreement.Prior art disk enclosures use the breaking of a seal provided by anadhesive label or removal of packaging to indicate acceptance of alicense agreement and the peel-off closing means 6 provides another wayof indicating this. The peel-off closure means 6 may thus be regarded asa label secured to the base 3 which both provides information to theuser and serves as closure means.

[0024] If desired, the peel-off closure means may be wholly or partiallytransparent so the disk 1 can be seen therethrough.

[0025]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an enclosure similar to thatof FIG. 1 but with a different form of disk holding means, eg of theform shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 of WO 97/41563, which comprises two arms 2resiliently cantilevered from the base 3, the inner ends of which form abutton-like member divided by an S-shaped gap. The action of this diskholding means is, however, similar to that of FIG. 1, as describedfurther in WO97/41563.

[0026]FIG. 2 shows a disk 1 held in the enclosure and the peel-offclosure means 6 in the closed position. The disk 1 is held so the sidecarrying the data faces and is thus protected by the base 3.

[0027] Peeling back of the peel-off closure means 6 breaks the bondbetween the closure means 6 and the upstand 7 and results inirreversible damage to the bond between the closure means 6 and theupstand 7 and/or to the closure means 6, eg due to stretching, creasing,tearing or the like, so it is not possible to re-seal the enclosure withthe peel-off closure means 6 once it has been opened.

[0028] The above feature also renders the enclosure tamper-evident inthat any attempt to open it to gain access to the disk held therein isirreversible and will result in visible damage to the closure means 6and/or visible damage to the bond between the peel-off closure means 6and the upstand 7.

[0029] If adhesive is used to secure the peel-off closure means 6 to theupstand 7, this is preferably of a nature which does not readily re-sealonce the bond has been broken. The adhesive used may, for example, be aheat-cured adhesive or an adhesive cured by ultra-violet or infra-redradiation.

[0030] Once the peel-off closure means 6 has been removed, the undersideof the disk (which carries the data held thereon) remains protected asit faces towards the base 3 and by the provision of an upstand 8adjacent the periphery of the disk. Various forms of upstand 8 may beprovided and the reader is again referred to WO96/14636 and WO97/41563for examples and further details. As shown in FIG. 2, the support 5 maycomprise a step on the inner side of the upstand 8.

[0031] In an alternative arrangement (not shown), the peel-off closuremeans 6 may be secured to the upstand 8 instead of (or in addition to)the upstand 7.

[0032] The upstand 7 and/or 8 should preferably project from the base 3by a distance sufficient to ensure that the peel-off closure means 6does not touch the disk 1 when secured to the upstand 8, although, insome cases, the arrangement may be such that the peel-off closure means6 engages the disk 1 when it is in the closed position.

[0033] In other arrangements, the enclosure may be arranged so there isroom for a leaflet or booklet to be positioned on top of the disk 1beneath the peel-off closure means 6.

[0034] The peel-off closure means 6 may be similar to known peel-offclosure means used in other applications, e.g. a thin plastics film, orfoil-like closure means as used in the food industry for sealing foodcontainers or the medical industry for sealing sterile containers.Alternatively, the enclosure means may be relatively rigid, e.g. in theform of a cardboard or plastics sheet which has a tendency to adopt aflat form.

[0035] However, unlike such prior art, in which the container is usuallya disposable item, the apparatus described herein is designed to beretained and used to hold the disk after the closure means 6 has beenremoved and thrown away. The peel-off closure means 6 is used to provideextra protection for the disk between the time it is manufactured to thetime it is sold to the end user and to provide sales information and/oran indication of the acceptance of a license agreement as discussedabove. Once the enclosure has been opened by the end user, the remainingapparatus provides sufficient protection for the disk. This arises fromthe fact that the function of the disk holding means is independent ofthe presence of the peel-off closure means 6 and by the fact that thedisk is positively held on the apparatus by the disk-holding means asdescribed above and can only be removed therefrom by depression of thebutton-like member.

[0036] In particular, as discussed further in WO96/14636 and WO97/41563referred to above, the disk holding means and/or the upstand 8 arepreferably designed so that it is not possible to prise the disk off theapparatus by lifting an edge of the disk.

[0037] Furthermore, end users are likely to store their collection ofdisks in a box or a racking system which provides additional protectionso it is not necessary for each disk to be enclosed in its ownindividual container. This is in contrast to the usual practice in thisfield and stems from the realisation that, as only one side of the disk,i.e. the side that carries the data, requires particular protection, adisk holder need only be one sided, i.e. it need only protect one sideof the disk and does not need to be in the form of an enclosure.

[0038] As described above, the apparatus described herein, in effect,encloses the sensitive side of the disk, by means of the base 3, theupstand 8 positioned close to the periphery of the disk and the oppositeside of the disk itself which protects the recorded side of the diskfrom potential harm originating from sources on the other side of thedisk. Furthermore, the apparatus described herein provides a rigidsupport which helps protect the disk from flexing, bending or warpingwhich are often the main causes of damage to a disk.

[0039] In addition to the above, the upstand 7 (or 8) is preferably of aheight such that if the apparatus is laid on a flat surface with therear surface of the base 3 uppermost, at least the disk 1, andpreferably also the disk-holding means, do not touch the surface. Thedisk 1 may, for example, be held at least 0.3 mm and preferably 1 mm ormore away from the surface. The button-like member of the disk holdingmeans may be at the same level as the upstand 7 (or 8) so it may justtouch the surface (but not be pressed thereby) or may be spaced from thesurface, e.g. by up to 0.7 mm or more. Thus, the upstand 7 is configuredsuch that if the apparatus is positioned with the upstand against asubstantially flat surface, the disk 1, and preferably the disk holdingmeans as well, are held away from the surface.

[0040] The enclosure after the peel-off closure means 6 has been removedthus provides apparatus for holding the disk, there being no necessityto provide an additional cover, lid or other container over theoutermost face of the disk. The rear face of the base 3 may be providedwith a label 9 and, in effect, be used as the front face of the productwith the disk held on the other side of the apparatus. As indicatedabove, such apparatus can be laid on a flat surface such as a table ordesk with the disk on the underside, protected from contact with thetable by the upstand 7 (or 8), with the label 9 uppermost.

[0041] The rear face of the base portion 3 is also preferably providedwith a small upstand 7A (see FIG. 2) e.g. less than 1 mm high andpreferably less than 0.5 mm, around the periphery thereof to protect thelabel 9 from being worn or scuffed when the enclosure is placed on asurface with its rear face nearest the surface.

[0042] The base 3 may also be formed of transparent or translucentmaterial in which case the label 9 may be printed on both sides as theside secured to the underside of the base 3 will be visible through thebase 3.

[0043] In a further embodiment (not shown), disk holding means may beprovided on both major faces of the base 3 so a disk can be held on eachside of the base, e.g. by affixing two enclosures back to back or byusing an alternative form of disk holding means that can be formed onboth sides of a single base.

[0044] As the upstand 7 (or 8) functions to support the apparatus whenlaid against a surface as well as providing a frame around theapparatus, it is preferably of a substantially rigid and sturdyconstruction.

[0045] The base 3, disk-holding means and upstands 7 and 8 arepreferably formed as an integral plastics moulding which can be formedin a one-shot injection moulding process.

[0046] As indicated above, the reverse side of the base 3 may be used toprovide information and/or advertising relating to the contents of thedisk held on the device. This may be provided by a printed sheet 9 (seeFIG. 2) held within a sleeve (not shown) or, preferably, by a printedsheet or label adhered to the reverse side of the base 3. In the lattercase, the sheet 9 also serves to provide a seal across apertures in thebase 3 formed during the fabrication of the arms 2 and button-likemember.

[0047] The reverse side of the base 3 preferably comprises a large flatsurface as shown in FIG. 2. As mentioned above, a small upstand ispreferably provided around the periphery of the reverse side of the baseto protect the sheet or label 9 from scuffing when the apparatus is laiddown with the sheet or label underneath.

[0048] If the upstand 7 or 8 to which the peel-off closure means 6 issecured is continuous, the disk is held in a sealed enclosure whilst thepeel-off closure means is in place and thus sealed against theingression of dust or moisture whilst it is in transit or in storageprior to its use and whilst it is on display in a retail outlet. Oncethe enclosure has been opened by the end-user, a similar level ofprotection is not generally required as end-users are more likely totake care of their disks and often store them in purpose-made rackingsystems. The home or office environment in which a disk is used alsousually subjects the disk to less extreme conditions than it mightexperience before it reaches the end-user.

[0049] In further embodiments of the invention, the closure means may bearranged so that it can be peeled back to open the enclosure but notremoved therefrom, so it is retained to provide re-usable closure meansfor the enclosure. Whilst the base 3 can alone protect the sensitiveside of the disk as described above, in some applications it is stilldesirable for the enclosure to retain a lid.

[0050] In a simple form (not shown), this may be achieved by bonding oneedge of the closure means 6, e.g. the edge opposite the tab 6A, to thebase 3 by a stronger form of adhesive, heat weld or any other permanentmethod of fixing, so the closure means remains attached to the baseportion 3 when opened in the manner shown in FIG. 1. In addition, are-sealable form of adhesive (or other form of holding means) isprovided on the closure means, e.g. on the tab 6A, so when the closuremeans is closed again, it can be releasably held in a closed position bythis re-sealable means.

[0051]FIGS. 3 and 4 show an embodiment in which the closure meansremains attached to the enclosure so it can be retained as a lid for theenclosure. The enclosure shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 has a base 3, upstands 7and 8 and disk holding means similar to those of FIGS. 1 and 2, althoughthe base 3 has an extension 10 on one side 3A thereof. The closure meanscomprises a sheet 11 which is adhered to the underside of the base,extends around an edge 3B of the base, and then extends across the uppersurface of the base to the opposite side 3A of the base and is providedwith a fastener portion 11A for fastening to the extension 10 of thebase 3. The sheet 11 is initially bonded to the upstand 7 along side 3Aand sides 3C and 3D (which extend between sides 3A and 3B) of the baseby a welded joint or by an adhesive which does not readily re-seal oncethe bond has been broken, e.g. a heat-cured adhesive or an adhesivecured by ultra-violet or infra-red radiation as described in relation tothe embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0052] The sheet 11 may also, if desired, be secured to the edge 3B ofthe base or to the upper surface of the base in the region of the edge3B in addition to its securement to the rear face of the base.

[0053] The fastener portion 11A of the enclosure means is releasablyfastened to the extension 10 of the base by means of a re-useableadhesive strip, such as that used on Post-it (™) notes manufactured by3M, which can be repeatedly released and re-sealed, or by some otherform of releasable fastening.

[0054] When the enclosure is first used, the fastener portion 11A islifted away from the extension 10 and the sheet 11 peeled back so theirreversibly breakable bond with the upstand 7 along sides 3A, 3C and 3Dof the base 3 is broken. The sheet 11 remains attached to the base 3along (or adjacent) the edge 3B thereof, and the join therebetween actsas a hinge between the base 3 and the portion 11B of the sheet that hasbeen peeled away from the upstand 7. This portion 11B can then be usedas a lid and used to close the enclosure again by laying it over theupper surface of the base 3 and re-fastening the fastener portion 11Athereof to the extension 10.

[0055] In a further arrangement (not shown), the irreversibly breakablejoin between the closure means and the base may be provided by a weakportion adjacent the edge of the closure means, such as a partially cutthrough area or a line of spaced cuts, or by a tear off strip along theedges of the closure means.

[0056] The base 3 is again preferably provided with a small upstand,similar to that shown at 7A in FIG. 2, along sides 3A, 3C and 3D of itsunderside to protect the portion 11C of the sheet on the underside ofthe base from being worn or scuffed when the enclosure is laid on asurface such as a desk or table. This upstand may also extend around theedge 3B of the base to protect the portion of the sheet extending aroundthis edge.

[0057] The extension 10 is preferably formed so as to provide an uppersurface to which the fastener portion 11A can be fastened and a lowersurface which forms a continuation of the underside of the base 3 towhich the portion 11C of the sheet can be affixed.

[0058] The sheet 11 used in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 may beprinted as a single flat sheet prior to being adhered to the base. Thesheet 11 may, thus, be used to provide information on the underside ofthe base, information along the edge 3B of the base (which, in use, is,in effect, similar to the spine of a conventional CD box) andinformation on the upper side of the base. The portion 11B of the sheet11 which lies over the upper side of the base 3 is, preferably, at leastpartially transparent, so a disk held in the enclosure can be seen therethrough.

[0059] The enclosure shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 comprising a base and asheet extending from one side of the base around to the other sidethereof, can be made very thin, especially if the sheet is in the formof a thin, foil-like sheet or a thin plastics or laminated plasticssheet. The sheet may typically have a thickness in the range 150-200microns, eg around 170 microns.

[0060]FIGS. 5 and 6 show a further embodiment of an enclosure in whichthe closure means is initially joined to the base portion in such amanner that, at least part of the join can be broken to enable theclosure means to be opened to allow removal of the disk but in which theclosure means remains attached to the base portion so it cansubsequently be used as a re-sealable lid.

[0061] In this embodiment, the peripheral portion 11D of the closuremeans around sides 3A, 3C and 3D of the base is integrally formed withthe base portion 3, and joined thereto by a breakable portion 12, suchas a thin or weakened area of the plastics material extending around theedges of the closure means. The remainder of the closure means comprisesa sheet 11 similar to that described above but in this case permanentlyadhered or affixed to the peripheral portion 11D of the closure meansrather than to an upstand on the base portion 3.

[0062] The breakable portion 12 may comprise a narrow area of theplastics material which extends along the edges of the closure means andhas a thickness less than the adjacent areas so that the closure meansand base can be pulled apart by a tear propagating along this narrow,weakened area of plastics material. The breakable portion 12 ispreferably provided at the corner between the vertical edge 3A of thebase and a horizontal portion of the peripheral portion 11D (as shown inFIG. 6) so it can be easily formed during a moulding process.

[0063] The breakable portion may also be provided by an intermittentline of cuts or incisions extending along the edges of the closure meansto provide a weakened area which enables the closure means and base tobe torn apart.

[0064]FIG. 5 shows this embodiment in an open position after the joinbetween the peripheral portion 11D of the closure means and the sides3A, 3C and 3D of the base portion has been broken, so the closure meanscan be opened. As in the embodiment described above, the closure meansremains attached to the base 3 along the edge 3B of the base, thisattachment forming a hinge for the closure means.

[0065]FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the enclosure shown in FIG. 5,along the line B-B, but with the closure means shown in the closedposition. As shown, the peripheral portion 11D of the closure means isinitially joined to the edge 3A of the base (and also to the edges 3Cand 3D which are not shown in FIG. 6) by the breakable portion 12. Whenthe part of the peripheral portion 11D joined to the edge 3A is firstlifted away from the base 3, e.g. by means of a tab provided on theperipheral portion 11D at one end of the edge 3A, the join 12therebetween is broken and as the closure means continues to be liftedaway from the base 3, the break in this join travels along the sides 3A,3C and 3D of the base in the form of a tear. Once the closure means hasbeen opened in this manner, the disk held in the enclosure can beremoved.

[0066] The closure means can then be moved to the closed position againand may be held in this position by an interference fit between thesides of the base 3 and the sides of the peripheral portion 11D whichoverlap with each other (as shown in FIG. 6). A fastener or clip orother re-sealable means may, if desired, also be provided between anedge of the base 3 and a side of the peripheral portion 11D toreleasably hold the peripheral portion, and hence the closure means, inthe closed position.

[0067] In a modified form of the enclosure shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, theperipheral portion 11D and the edges 3A, 3C and 3D of the base may beintegrally formed with each other and separated by means of a tear-offstrip as used to provide tamper-proof lids of some medicine or foodjars.

[0068] In another arrangement, the tear-off strip may be formedseparately and joined to the closure means and base by irreversiblybreakable joins. In a further arrangement, a tear-off strip may beprovided along one edge of the base, e.g. along edge 3A, and narrow,weakened areas (as described above) provided along edges 3C and 3D.

[0069] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, it will be appreciatedthat the base 3, disk engaging means and the peripheral portion 11D ofthe closure means are initially formed as a one-piece moulding, a diskis then inserted into the enclosure through the opening between thesides of the peripheral portion 11D and the sheet 11 then attached tothe peripheral portion 11D and base 3. In this case, the sheet 11 ispermanently adhered to the peripheral portion 11D and to the base 3 asit is not designed to be removed again.

[0070] In a further embodiment (not shown), the peripheral portion 11Dof the closure means may be a separate item to the base portion 3 andarranged to be irreversibly mounted on the base portion, e.g. by aone-way, snap-on fit (similar to that used for lids of medicine or foodcontainers provided with integrally formed, tear-off strips). In thiscase, the breakable join or tear-off strip would be between an openableportion of the peripheral portion 11 and a portion thereof which hasbeen irreversibly mounted on the base 3.

[0071] The portion(s) of the base 3 and closure means joined by theirreversibly breakable join should be sufficient to prevent removal ofthe disk from the enclosure. Preferably, this join extends around asubstantial portion of the periphery of the disk or of the enclosure.

[0072] In a preferred arrangement, the join between the base 3 and theclosure means prior to initial opening of the enclosure, provides a sealagainst the ingress of dust and/or moisture into the enclosure so, priorto initial opening of the enclosure, the disk is held within a sealedspace. The irreversibly breakable join between the closure means and thebase, together with the permanently affixed portion thereof (whenapplicable), thus preferably extend around the entire periphery of thedisk and/or of the enclosure.

[0073] Another advantage of the invention is that it provides anenclosure which is relatively easy and is inexpensive to manufacture. Asindicated above, the apparatus shown in the drawings is preferablydesigned so it can be manufactured by a one-shot injection mouldingprocess. It will also be appreciated that other forms of enclosure (notshown) may be formed by other processes, e.g. vacuum forming, whichsimilarly provide a fast and inexpensive manufacturing process and whichis compatible with the provision of peel-off closure means. Themanufacture of an enclosure with peel-off closure means is also lessexpensive than, for example, a folded cardboard cover.

[0074] The invention also enables the enclosure to be made very thin,e.g. less than 5 mm in thickness, and preferably as thin as 3 mm.

[0075] As indicated above, disks are often stored by the end-user in aracking system. To facilitate this, the base 3 is preferably shaped tofit conventional racking systems and/or may be provided with suitableengagement means (not shown) to facilitate its installation within aracking system. The base 3 may, if desired, also be provided with aremovable tag, or means for receiving a tag, for identification purposeswhen the base 3 is held in a racking system in the form of aconventional card index.

[0076] The enclosure need not necessarily be of a square or rectangularshape and any other shape capable of housing and releasably holding thedisk (or other form of data carrier) may be used. Whatever the shape ofthe enclosure, the irreversibly breakable join should be arranged toinitially prevent removal of the disk from the enclosure but, whenbroken, enable the closure means to be opened to an extent sufficient topermit removal of the disk from the enclosure.

[0077] Although the apparatus described above is sufficient to hold andprotect a disk as described, it may also be used as an insert or tray,e.g. for fitting within another enclosure such as a conventional jewelbox or within a folded cardboard cover.

[0078] Although the invention has been described with particularreference to an enclosure holding a disk such as a CD, it will beappreciated that the use of peel-off closure means for similar purposesis applicable to enclosures adapted to releasably hold other forms ofdata carrier.

[0079] In a further aspect of the invention, an enclosure similar tothose described above may be provided but with the irreversiblybreakable join omitted or replaced by a re-sealable join. Such anenclosure is suitable for holding a blank, recordable data carrier, e.g.a CD-R, or for providing as an empty enclosure to house a data carrieralready owned by a user. In such circumstances, the provision of anirreversibly breakable join to indicate acceptance of a licenceagreement or to provide additional protection for the data carrier maynot be required. Blank data carriers may, nevertheless, be provided inan enclosure such as described in relation to FIGS. 1 to 6 and,similarly, such enclosures may also be provided without a data carrierheld therein, the user inserting their own data carrier once theenclosure has been opened.

1. An enclosure holding a data carrier, the enclosure comprising: a baseportion; retaining means provided on the base portion for releasablyholding the data carrier within the enclosure; and closure meansarranged to prevent removal of the data carrier from the enclosure, atleast part of the closure means being integrally formed or bondeddirectly with the base portion, or with a component permanently mountedthereto, so as to provide an irreversibly breakable join therebetweenwhich, when broken, enables the closure means to be opened to allow thedata carrier to be removed from the enclosure.
 2. An enclosure asclaimed in claim 1 having an upstand which surrounds or partiallysurrounds the data carrier, the said join being provided between atleast part of the upstand and the closure means.
 3. An enclosure asclaimed in claim 1 in which the closure means can be peeled off the baseportion.
 4. An enclosure as claimed in claim 1 provided with informationinforming the user that removal of the closure means indicatesacceptance by the user of specified conditions of purchase, e.g.acceptance of a license agreement.
 5. An enclosure as claimed in claim 4in which the said information is provided on the closure means.
 6. Anenclosure as claimed in claim 1 in which the closure means comprises atab by which a user can grip the closure means to pull it away from thebase portion.
 7. An enclosure as claimed in claim 1 in which the closuremeans comprises a plastics film.
 8. An enclosure as claimed in claim 7in which the plastics film is laminated with one or more films ofplastics, metal and/or paper.
 9. An enclosure as claimed in claim 1, theinterior of which is sealed against the ingression of dust until theirreversibly breakable join is broken.
 10. An enclosure as claimed inclaim 1 in which the retaining means is provided on a major face of thebase portion and the enclosure means extends across said major face,around an edge of the base portion and across a major face on the otherside of the base portion.
 11. An enclosure as claimed in claim 1 inwhich the retaining means is arranged to releasably hold the datacarrier independently of the presence of the closure means.
 12. Anenclosure as claimed in claim 2 in which the upstand is configured suchthat if the enclosure is positioned with the upstand against asubstantially flat surface, the retaining means and the data carrier aresupported clear of the surface.
 13. An enclosure as claimed in claim 1in which a sufficient portion of the closure means can be separated fromthe base portion to allow removal of the data carrier whilst a furtherportion of the closure means remains attached to the base portion so theclosure means can subsequently be reused to close the enclosure.
 14. Anenclosure as claimed in claim 13 in which said further portion of theclosure means is permanently secured to the base portion.
 15. Anenclosure as claimed in claim 13 in which the closure means is providedwith holding means for releasably holding the closure means in a closedposition once said irreversibly breakable join has been broken.
 16. Anenclosure as claimed in claim 13 in which the closure means comprises asheet permanently secured to one edge of the base portion, secured toone or more other edges of the base portion by the irreversiblybreakable join and provided with said holding means on an edge oppositeto that permanently secured to the base portion.
 17. An enclosure forholding a data carrier, the enclosure comprising: a base portion;retaining means provided on the base portion for releasably holding thedata carrier within the enclosure; and closure means comprising aplastics film or sheet connected to the base portion by a direct bondtherebetween whereby movement of the closure means between a closedposition and an open position by breaking at least part of the bondtherebetween allows the data carrier to be removed from the enclosure.18. An enclosure as claimed in claim 17 in which the plastics film orsheet is secured to the base portion along or adjacent to an edgethereof so as to be hingeable thereabout.
 19. An enclosure as claimed inclaim 18 in which the closure means is provided with holding means forreleasably holding the closure means in a closed position.
 20. Anenclosure as claimed in claim 17 in which the plastics film or sheetextends around an edge of the base position and across the reverse faceof the base portion.
 21. An enclosure holding a disk-shaped data carrierwith a central aperture, the enclosure comprising: a base portion;retaining means provided on the base portion for releasably engaging thecentral aperture and thus holding the data carrier within the enclosure;and closure means arranged to prevent removal of the data carrier fromthe enclosure, at least part of the closure means being integrallyformed or bonded directly with the base portion, or with a componentpermanently mounted thereto, around a substantial portion of theperiphery of the data carrier or of the enclosure so as to provide anirreversibly breakable join therebetween which, when broken, enables theclosure means to be opened to allow the data carrier to be removed fromthe enclosure.
 22. An enclosure holding a disk-shaped data carrierhaving a central aperture and machine or computer-readable data recordedon only one side thereof, the enclosure comprising: an injection mouldedplastics base portion which is substantially rigid and substantiallyplanar; retaining means integrally formed on the base portion forreleasably engaging the central aperture of the data carrier to holdsecurely the data carrier with the data recorded on said one side facingbut spaced from the base portion; an upstand projecting from the baseportion and which surrounds or partially surrounds the data carrier; andpeel-off closure means arranged to prevent removal of the data carrierfrom the enclosure, an irreversibly breakable join being provided tosecure the closure means to at least part of the upstand which, whenbroken, enables the closure means to be opened to allow the data carrierto be removed from the enclosure, the retaining means securely holdingthe data carrier so as to protect data carried on the said one side ofthe data carrier even when the closure means is opened or removed. 23.An enclosure as claimed in claim 22 in which the upstand is at theperiphery of the base portion.
 24. An enclosure as claimed in claim 22in which the or a further upstand is adjacent the periphery of the datacarrier.